Surface cleaning tool with pressure and floating brushes



C. C. COONS July 15, 1958 SURFACE CLEANING TOOL WITH PRESSURE AND FLOATING BRUSHES Filed May 3, 1955 3 Sheet Sheet 1 um Qm mm C. C. COONS July 15, 1958 SURFACE CLEANING TOOL WITH PRESSURE AND FLOATING BRUSHES Filed May 3, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 c Ns July 1' 1958 SURFACE CLEANING TOOL WITH PRESSURE AND FLOATING BRUSHES Filed May 3, .1955

s Sheet et 3 Fla 4 FIQ 6 2,84i2fl92 Patented July 15, 1958 SURFACE QLEANZING Tt'lUL WITH PRESSURE AND FLQA'HNG BRUSHES Curtis C. @oons, North Qanton, @hio, assignor to The Hoover (Company, North Canton, @hio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 3, 1955, Serial No. 595,691

9 Claims. ill. 15-355) The present invention relates to surface cleaning tools adapted for use with suction cleaners.

An object of the invention is to provide a cleaning tool having a surface engaging support to absorb the thrust applied to a propelling handle and the latter con trolling the positions of the support. Another object is to provide a cleaning tool having a nozzle floatingly mounted with respect to a surface engaging support which absorbs the force applied to a propelling handle the latter controlling the positions of the support. A further ob ject is to provide a cleaning tool having a brush and a surface engaging support both controlled by a propelling handle to selectively absorb the handle thrust. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a bottom View of the cleaning tool taken along the line 1-1 of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a side view showing the wheels engaging the surface to receive the force applied to the handle,

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33 of Figure 1 showing the handle at one side of a vertical plane and the resiliently mounted brush in contact with the surface,

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the handle at the other side of the vertical plane, the wheels being removed from the surface and another brush engaging the surface to receive the handle thrust,

Figure 5 is a section showing the bearing and air seal between the handle and nozzle body, and

Figure 6 is a section along the line as of Figure 5.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed corn-- prises a body llll having an elongated arcuate shell ll closed at its opposite ends by walls 12-12 and having an elongated opening 13 therebetween. A rectangular nozzle frame 14 has an arcuate seat 15 to receive the shell ill, and an opening 16 in the frame 145 forms a nozzle mouth aligned with the shell opening 13. Formed in the frame 14 are front and rear nozzle lips l7-l7 which extend beyond the ends 12 of the shell 11 to pro vide end supporting surfaces l8l8 engageable with the surface 19 to be cleaned. Rotatably mounted at two diagonal corners of the frame 14- are surface engageable wheels 29 to prevent tilting of the nozzle body.

Rotatably mounted in the shell X1 is a combined conduit and brush supporting member 21 having spaced tubular portions 22 connected at their inner ends 23 by circumferentially spaced brush supporting members 2d and 25 which define elongated openings 26 and 27 therebetween. Each of the tubular portions 22 is provided with a lateral flange 2% extending between spaced air sealing gaskets 2-29 supported at their peripheries by the shell ill, and the gaskets are retained against move-- ment longitudinally of the shell by retaining discs and 331 secure to the shell ii. The annular flanges 2d are laterally displaceable between the two gaskets 29-29 and are rotatably mounted therebetween to provide an axis of rotation indicated generally at 32 for the member 21. The tubular portions 22 extend through larger circular openings 33 in the discs 39-4)]. and rectangular openings 34 in the shell end walls 12 to provide a lost motion connection for vertical displacement of the shell 11 with respect to the tubular portions 22, and the gaskets 29 prevent leakage of air through the rectangular openings 34 into the interior of the shell 11.

Attached to the brush supporting strip 24 is a housing in which is disposed a floating brush 3? having a brush back 33- and bristles 39. A pair of spaced compression springs as in the brush housing 36 bear against the brush back 33 to urge the bristles 39 through the nozzle mouth 16 into yielding engagement with the surface 19 as shown in Figure 3. A pair of lugs 41 on the brush back 33 extend through spaced elongated openings 4-2 in the housing to limit the projection of the bristles 39 through the nozzle mouth in. The brush sup porting strip 25 is recessed at 43 to rigidly support the back of a floor brush 45 having surface engaging bristles 46 as shown in Figure 4. The brushes 37 and 45 are arranged about apart to project their bristles through the nozzle mouth 16 depending upon the position of the brush supporting member 21.

Attached to each end of the tubular portions 22 and forming an extension thereof is one end 43 of the arms of a tubular U-shaped bail 49 and the other ends 5!? of the arms are connected to a coupling 51 provided with a socket The socket 52 is adapted to rernovably receive one end of a rigid wand 53 the opposite end being attached to an unshown flexible hose connected to a suction cleaner providing a source of suction to draw dirt laden air through the nozzle mouth 16 and tubular ball 49 to the cleaner which filters the dirt in a well known manner.

A wheel 5d is rotatably mounted on a pin 55 at the opposite ends 48 of the tubular bail 49 and is positioned eccentrically with respect to the rotatable axis 32 of the bail 49 and thus also the brushes 37-45 for selective engagement with the surface 19.

When it is desired to clean easy to remove litter from a surface such as rugs the wand 53, which is also a propelling handle, is rotated about the axis 32 to the position shown in Figure 3 at one side of a vertical plane passing through the axis 32. Such rotation of the handle 53 causes the brush 37 is be shifted from within the shell 11 to arrange the bristles 39 at the opening 13 and the springs til force the bristles through the nozzle mouth 16 into yielding engagement with the surface 19. The wheels 55 are also rotated about the axis 32 and positioned into engagement with the surface 1? to receive the propelling force applied to the handle and which force is transmitted to the surface 119. During reciprocation of the tool the bristles 39 yieldingly engage the surface 1% to loosen the dirt which is then removed by the air stream passing through the nozzle mouth 16, spaces 262-7 between the brush supporting members 24-45, the tubular portions 22 and then through the bail 49 and wand 53 to the attached suction cleaner which collects the dirt from the air stream prior to its escaping to atmosphere. The nozzle lips li --18 move along the surface being cleaned and due to the elongated openings 34 in the shell lithe latter as a result of such engagement is vertically adjusted with respect to the wheels 55 whereby the nozzle lips are automatically adjusted to the type of carpet and'in effect float with respect to the carpet. I

"if the litter is diflicult to remove from a carpet or it is desired to scrub a floor a greater force must be ap plied to the surface cleaning brush. Under these conditions the handle 53 is rotated about the axis 32 to the other side of the vertical plane to the position shown in Figure 4. During such movement of the handle 53 the Ki wheels 55 are lifted off the surface 19' due to their eccentric mounting on the bail 49 with respect to the rotational axis 32 of the bail. When the handle 53 is in its floor scrubbing position the bristles 46 project through the nozzle mouth 16 and since the wheels 55 are elevated the force applied to the handle 53 is transmitted directly to the brush 45 whereby the latter presses against the surface to be cleaned with a force equal to that applied to the handle 53. In this position of the brush 45' the nozzle lips lightly engage the carpet and are self-adjusting due to the elongated openings 34- in the shell 11 so as not to materially resist the effort required to propel the tool over the surface being cleaned.

While I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but to include all equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A suction cleaning tool comprising a body having a nozzle mouth for entrance of dirt laden air removed from a surface being cleaned, a surface engageable brush associated with said nozzle, a propelling handle connected to said brush, means mounting said brush and handle on said body for rotation about an axis as a unit relative to said nozzle mouth, supporting wheels, means mounting said wheels on said handle eccentrically with respect to said rotatable axis for displacement with respect to said nozzle mouth for selective engagement with the surface to be cleaned, said Wheels being so mounted with respect to said brush that movement of said handle relative to said body to one position arranges said brush for engagement with the surface to be cleaned and said wheels out of contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said handle directly to said brush and thus said surface, and said eccentric wheel mounting so arranged with respect to said rotatable axis that movement of said handle to another position shifts said wheels into contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said handle directly to said wheels.

2. A suction cleaner tool as described in claim 1, and said handle mounting means arranged on said body for movement of said handle to said one position at one side of a vertical plane, and for movement of said handle to said another position at the opposite side of said vertical plane.

3. A suction cleaning tool comprising a body having a nozzle mouth for entrance of dirt laden air removed from the surface being cleaned, a surface engageable brush associated with said nozzle mouth, a propelling wand connected to said brush and communicating with said nozzle mouth for conveying dirt laden air therefrom, pivot means mounting said brush and Wand on said body for rotation about an axis as a unit relative to said nozzle mouth, supporting wheels, means mounting said wheels on said wand eccentrically with respect to said rotatable axis for displacement with respect to said nozzle mouth for selective engagement with the surface to be cleaned, said wheels being so mounted with respect to said brush that movement of said wand with respect to said body to one position arranges said brush for engagement with the surface to be cleaned and said wheels out of contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said wand directly to said brush and thus said surface, and said eccentric wheel mounting so arranged with respect to said rotatable axis that movement of said wand to another position shifts said wheels into contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said Wand directly to said wheels and thus said surface.

4. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and means forming a lost motion connection between said handle and body for vertical adjustment of said nozzle mouth to dilferent types of surfaces independent the force applied to said handle.

5. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 2, and means forming a lost motion connection between said handle and body for vertical adjustment of said nozzle mouth to different types of surfaces independent of the force applied to said handle.

6. A suction cleaning tool as described in claim 3, and means forming a lost motion connection between said wand and body for vertical adjustment of said nozzle mouth to different types of surfaces independent of the force applied to said wand.

7. A suction cleaning tool comprising a body having a nozzle mouth for entrance of dirt laden air removed from a surface being cleaned, a surface engageable brush associated with said nozzle, a propelling handle connected to said brush, means mounting said brush and handle on said body for rotation about an axis as a unit relative to said nozzle mouth, supporting wheels, means mounting said wheels on said handle eccentrically with respect to said rotatable axis for selective engagement with the surface to be cleaned, said wheels being so mounted with respect to said brush that movement of said handle. to one position arranges said brush for engagement with the surface to be cleaned and said wheels out of contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said handle directly to said brush and thus said surface, and said eccentric wheel mounting so arranged with respect to said rotatable axis that movement of said handle to another position shifts said wheels into contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said handle directly to said wheels, and a second brush mounted for movement with said handle about said rotatable axis, and said eccentric wheel mounting so arranged With respect to said second brush that movement of said handle to said another position shifts said second brush into engagement with said surface.

8. A suction cleaning tool comprising a body having a nozzle mouth for entrance of dirt laden air removed from a surface being cleaned, a surface engageable brush associated with said nozzle, a propelling handle connected to said brush, means mounting said brush and handle on said body for rotation about an axis as a unit relative to said nozzle mouth, supporting Wheels, means mounting said wheels on said handle eccentrically with respect to said rotatable axis for selective engagement with the surface to be cleaned, said wheels being so mounted with respect to said brush that movement of said handle to one position arranges said brush for engagement with the surface to be cleaned and said wheels out of contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said handle directly to said brush and thus said surface, and said eccentric wheel mounting so arranged with respect to said rotatable axis that movement of said handle to another position shifts said wheels into contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said handle directly to said Wheels, and a second brush mounted for movement with said handle about said rotatable axis, and said eccentric wheel mounting so arranged with respect to said second brush that movement of said handle to said another position shifts said second brush into engagement with said surface, and said handle mounting means arranged on said body for movement of said handle to said one position at one side of a vertical plane, and for movement of said handle to said another position at the opposite side of said vertical plane.

9. A suction cleaning tool comprising a body having nozzle mouth for entrance of dirt laden air removed from the surface being cleaned, a surface engageable brush associated with said nozzle mouth, a propelling wand connected to said brush and communicating with said nozzle mouth for conveying dirt laden air therefrom, pivot means mounting said brush and wand on said body for rotation about an axis as a unit relative to said nozzle mouth, supporting wheels, means mounting said wheels on said wand eccentrically with respect to said rotatable axis for selective engagement with the surface to be cleaned, said wheels being so mounted with respect to said brush that movement of said wand to one position arranges said brush for engagement with the surface to be cleaned and said wheels out of contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said wand directly to said brush and thus said surface, and said eccentric wheel mounting so arranged with respect to said rotatable axis that movement of said wand to another position shifts said wheels into contact with said surface to transmit the force applied to said wand directly to said wheels and thus said surface, and a second brush mounted for movement with said wand about said rotatable axis, and said eccentric wheel mounting so arranged with respect to said second brush that movement of said wand to said another position shifts said second brush into engagement with said surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

